This paper presents a geometrical method for the workspace analysis of 6-PRRS parallel manipulators. A geometric algorithm is described for the computation of the constant-orientation workspace, which was implemented in the CAD/CAM system CATIA. The in ̄uence of the di€erent design parameters on the workspace, as well as on other properties of the manipulator, is discussed. In addition, a new re...

Configuration Spaces: To begin, let us consider the problem of planning the motion of a single agent among a collection of obstacles. Since the techniques that we will be discussing originated in the field of robotics, henceforth we will usually refer to a moving agent as a “robot”. The environment in which the agent operates is called its workspace, which consists of a collection of geometric ...

The growing interest in the use of parallel kinematic machines (PKM) in machining applications requires clear determination of the workspace, dexterity and stiffness. This paper deals with the issues regarding the use of PKM as micro machine tools. Comparison criteria are set and a quantitative analysis is made to compare the characteristics of serial and parallel kinematics with respect to the...

This paper presents the design of a robot wrist with zero hand length and unlimited mutually orthogonal joints. This design is an improvement over existing ones. When equipped with this type of wrist, a robot's entire reachable workspace becomes the dexterous workspace. Because some wrist joint limitations may need to be imposed under practical consideration, to better assess this new wrist des...

The workspace of a parallel manipulator is usually smaller than the size of the robot itself. It is important to derive new structures that enjoy the advantages of parallel manipulators and also have a large workspace. In this paper we present two configurations of similar structures RRRS and RRSR with rotating links. The RRRS structure has a relatively large workspace—larger than the size of t...

Compared to serial robots, parallel kinematic machines (PKM) offer superior properties. However, modelling and analysis of PKMs are challenging tasks due to their complicated kinematic structure. In this paper we present methods to analyze the workspace of a class of 6 degree-of-freedom (dof) PKMs with constant leg length. These methods apply interval analysis in order to calculate the orientat...

In this report, we present the analysis of a 6 DOF robot end-effector built to study telerobotic assembly of NASA hardwares in space. Since the end-efector is required to perform high precision motion in a limited workspace, closed-kinematic chain mechanism is chosen for its design. A closed-form solution is obtained for the inverse kinematic problem and an itemtive pmedure employing Newton-Rap...

This paper presents the Collaborative Task Manager (CTM), which offers a unified management of shared tasks and commitments involving the usage of heterogeneous applications. The CTM supports the synchronization of user activities, and the management of workspace awareness, in customized collaboration environments. In particular, the CTM enables the user to resume the activity context of a task...

This paper describes new concepts and prototype software developments for the NC-programming of parallel machine tools. Important characteristics of the system are the integration of a machine workspace model with the CAM system and the integration of a NC-simulation system with the postprocessor. During tool path generation, each tool posture is checked for feasibility by a fast interrogation ...

In this paper, we study the problem of large force/torque application using robotic systems with limited force/torque actuators. For such systems, the available workspace may be smaller than its reachable workspace. It is shown that redundancy increases the force capability and workspace of a robotic system. To plan redundant manipulator postures during force tasks, a new method based on a min-...